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Gene Frenette: No answers for Jaguars' game-day breakdowns

It's understandable that the Jaguars want to avoid any hint of anybody waving a white flag five games into an NFL season. Or send a message to their fan base that recovery from the worst trifecta of home games in franchise history is near impossible.

But the mess that has unfolded to start this 2012 season is beyond reprehensible. Hands down, being outscored 95-20 at EverBank Field in 180 minutes of football is far more embarrassing than any tarps over seats or having one playoff win in the past 12 years.

Right now, the Jaguars are a game-day disaster. A costume change to black jerseys did nothing against the Bears to alter a train heading in a bad direction. They have the look and feel of a football team that simply isn't good enough to sustain winning, which has always been Smith's mission statement.

In the aftermath of watching the Bears score 38 unanswered points in the second half, Smith tried to be philosophical, but he knows his job security will become a bigger topic if the Jaguars keep floundering.

"We're not making enough plays to enable us to win," said Smith. "It's disappointing, but 'Poor, me' doesn't win. For me, it's partly sunny, not partly cloudy. I believe we're going to turn this. I got all the confidence in the players in that locker room."

Smith might believe that, but after a third consecutive home debacle, it looks more like a GM being in denial about what his roster is delivering on the field. Five games is not a whole season, but the team's body of work over four years (26-43) is not trending upward.

The Jaguars head into a bye week looking as pathetic and at a loss for answers as any time in their history. Players talk about execution and making big plays to turn momentum in their favor, but it always seems to be opponents who come through.

"I'm just angry with the result," linebacker Paul Posluszny said. "[The Bears] are a really good football team, and we competed with them for a half of football, then we fall apart. The end result, that's reality. I don't think we're that far behind them, but when you pick up the paper [Monday] morning, that's the score. It doesn't matter what I think right now that'll get you fired up.

"We'll continue to fight and work hard, but we got to start seeing results on the field. You and I can't keep having the same conversation about how we're going to continue to work hard and fight without seeing results. It has to carry over."

The only thing carrying over is an annoying habit of self-destructing. Mularkey's statement about his players not being able to overcome themselves was a spot-on assessment.

Just look at some of Sunday's game-changing plays, as well as ones that didn't materialize. Derek Cox gets an early interception in Bears territory, yet the offense goes three-and-out. Gabbert and receiver Justin Blackmon have a miscommunication on a route down the left sideline, which turns into a Tillman 36-yard interception return. A pass goes off Maurice Jones-Drew's hands and right to Briggs for a salt-in-the-wound score.

In the decisive third quarter, the Jaguars' defense was on the field for 24 of the combined 28 snaps. So whether it's a fatigued defense or an inept offense, this franchise keeps finding new ways to add to its own misery.

When asked if he was shellshocked over a third consecutive EverBank Field disaster, fullback Greg Jones replied: "A little bit. The defense held us in the game as long as they could. The offense, especially at home the past couple games, we've been underachievers. We got to start finding a way to put points on the board."

"For it to snowball like that, it's shocking. It's breathtaking," Rashean Mathis said. "As good as we played in the first half, even though it's a 60-minute game, you don't expect an outcome like that."

Gabbert talked about finding ways to fix this and correct that. Defensive end Jeremy Mincey admitted the Jaguars have to do some "soul-searching."

But those sound bites are getting tiresome. The fact of the matter is the Jaguars have been outscored by 73 points over five games, the worst plus-minus point total in the NFL.

"We got to get the mentality to stop the bleeding," safety Dwight Lowery said. "Something needs to change. Period."

Actually, the Jaguars did permanently change their primary team color from teal to black for the Bears game, which was kind of fitting. That new color is a perfect match for the results the Jaguars are producing on the field.